Prime Minister Tony Abbott is the latest to fall for the trap, thanks to his “no cuts to the ABC and SBS” commitment on the eve of the 2013 election.

It fed into a public perception that politicians, in general, can’t be trusted and that Mr Abbott, in particular, would happily say anything he thought might get him elected.

But perhaps the worst thing about Mr Abbott’s lie – as was the case with Julia Gillard’s famous carbon tax lie – is that it has irreversibly changed the course of debate on an issue of genuine national interest.

The funding of the ABC and SBS does matter to Australians, just as the question of whether or not there should be a price on carbon mattered to us all. But one moment of poor judgment can derail the entire debate, because opponents now need not worry about the facts of the issue.

Instead, they can focus only on the lie, and question the leader’s integrity.

The carbon lie haunted Ms Gillard throughout the last term of government and played a role in her demise.

Similarly, Mr Abbott’s ABC lie will haunt him until the next election and, if Labor MPs have their way, will play a role in his demise as well.

But both of these issues are far more important than a single lie.

The ABC and SBS hold a special place in the hearts and minds of most Australians, particularly those in regional areas.

But at a time when all media organisations are going through painful restructures, cost-cutting and job losses, it is ridiculous to think that the funding of the public broadcasters should be immune to review.

And what is lost on much of the rhetoric about Mr Abbott’s lie and the supposed gutting of the ABC and SBS is the fact that the broadcasters will continue to be funded to the tune of around one billion dollars a year – of taxpayers’ money.

No one believes the ABC and SBS are currently run so well that management cannot find five per cent savings. And if they can’t, let any of the private media bosses take a quick look at the books. The savings would quickly follow.